1
as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Coach Paul Maurice said captain Aleksander Barkov, who's recovering from tearing the ACL and medial collateral ligament in his right knee during training camp, is not expected back until at least late March.
—CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Dru Smith, who suffered the injury last season, participated in the Miami Heat’s training camp nine months after tearing his Achilles.
—Jay King, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
But unfortunately, as often happens in dissident movements, Iranians have been much better at tearing one another down than finding points of commonality.
—Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Foster didn’t see how the jail could be secured without tearing it apart.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Use sharp, clean pruners to cut off stems rather than twisting or tearing them off.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Watson, who is owed $46 million in the final year of his contract, missed last season after re-tearing his Achilles.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Bernie was sleeping next to the wall, and two claws had caught him on the hand, gashing his thumb and tearing through the web of flesh between thumb and forefinger.
—Doris Decleene, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Then, the new school lost one of its newest players when Kyle Fraser was medically evacuated after tearing his Achilles during the day 3 immunity challenge.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Coach Paul Maurice said captain Aleksander Barkov, who's recovering from tearing the ACL and medial collateral ligament in his right knee during training camp, is not expected back until at least late March.
—CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Dru Smith, who suffered the injury last season, participated in the Miami Heat’s training camp nine months after tearing his Achilles.
—Jay King, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
But unfortunately, as often happens in dissident movements, Iranians have been much better at tearing one another down than finding points of commonality.
—Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Foster didn’t see how the jail could be secured without tearing it apart.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Use sharp, clean pruners to cut off stems rather than twisting or tearing them off.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Watson, who is owed $46 million in the final year of his contract, missed last season after re-tearing his Achilles.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Bernie was sleeping next to the wall, and two claws had caught him on the hand, gashing his thumb and tearing through the web of flesh between thumb and forefinger.
—Doris Decleene, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing
Verb
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With the bases loaded and one out, Levenson delivered the separator, ripping a two-run line drive into right-center to stretch the lead to 4-0.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
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The sensation of ripping through six forward gears with the LT4’s stentorian roar echoing off a canyon wall is one of the best in motoring.—
Kyle Hyatt,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Lancers are feisty, diving for loose balls, yanking the ball out of opponents’ hands and not being shy about questioning an official’s call.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Chelsea Marie Struss was seen on video pushing, hitting, dropping, and yanking infants in her care.—
Vanessa Carlson Bender,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Meza Gonzalez and David Christian, one of her attorneys, refused to answer questions from reporters about the plea agreement, hurrying down a flight of stairs at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
Hisham Matar,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
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Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2024
Verb
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Wembanyama had back-to-back dunks in the second quarter, including grabbing his own miss and throwing it down for what became a three-point play on a foul by Javonte Green.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Brigham is also charged with assaulting a man by grabbing and twisting his genitals.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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District staff don’t expect to run out of spendable cash until September, slowing down the district’s speeding descent toward insolvency, but not by a lot.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Another recent paper co-authored by James Hansen — the US scientist who publicly sounded the alarm on the climate crisis in the 1980s — also concluded global warming is speeding up, but didn’t do a statistical significance test, Rahmstorf said.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Within newsrooms themselves, media companies are rushing to adopt tools many of their employees are wary of using.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Love commanded attention — and the football — in 2025, rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries and also catching 27 passes for 280 yards and three scores.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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